Windows

ABSTRACT

1,072,892. Reversible windows; releasable fastenings. N. V. APPLETON (U.K.) Ltd. Aug. 27, 1964 [Feb. 21, 1964], No. 7436/64. Headings E1J and E2A. A window pane 15, which may be part of a louvre window assembly but operable independently of the louvres 11 is restricted in its pivotal movement around its horizontal axis 29 beyond a first position of about 15‹ to the vertical and in another second position of about 150‹ to the vertical by means of a disc 46 secured to its spindle having a single sided notch 47 contacted by the end 53 of a lever 52 to prevent further rotation from the first position until released by the lever 52 when the pane can be moved to the second position to be held there by the end of lever 53 engaging in the double sided notch 48. The engagement of the end 53 of the lever with the flat of notch 47 allows the window to be rotated towards the closed position without operation of the lever 52, this movement being allowed by the pin and slot arrangement 54, 55. The disc 46 is mounted in a two-part nylon block, the two parts being drawn together by a screw 32 to provide a frictional brake stop for the window.

Dec. 12, 1967 W. H. RUSS ETAL.

WINDOWS- Filed June 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l l lllln Dec. 12, 1967 FiledJune 1, 1965.

W. H. RUSS ETAL WINDOWS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l IIIHIIHHHI United StatesPatent 3,357,135 WINDOWS William Hallam Russ and Henry Ernest Evans,Slough, England, assignors to N. V. Appleton (U.K.) Limited, Slough,England, a British company Filed June 1, 1965, Ser. No. 460,128 6Claims. (Cl. 49390) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A window assemblyincludes a window pane, which is pivotable about a transverse axis, andreleasable means which at a position intermediate in the range ofpivotal movement restricts only further pivotal movement of the paneaway from its closed position and at a second position restricts pivotalmovement of the pane in both directions.

The invention relates to windows and window assemblies.

The invention provides a window assembly comprising two upright sideframe members or jambs, a window pane extending between the side membersand attached thereto for pivotal movement about a transverse axis at oradjacent to the centre of the height of the pane and releasable meansfor restricting rotation of the pane beyond a sloping position obliqueto the frame members and intermediate in the range of pivotal movement,the releasable means being arranged to restrict rotation beyond oneposition as aforesaid and to hold the pane in another position ofrotation.

Preferably the range of pivotal movement is approximately 360 and thelocking means are arranged to hold the pane in two positions.

These positions may be altered to suit the required design of the windowbut it is preferred that these positions are either about 150 or about140 apart.

In one form of the invention the pane slopes at about 15 of opening(i.e. the pane slopes at about 15 to the vertical with the bottom edgeon the outside of the window) when in the first mentioned position.

In another form of the invention the pane slopes at about 20 of opening(i.e. the pane slopes at about 20 to the vertical with the bottom edgeon the outside of the window) when in the first mentioned position.

This arrangement facilitates cleaning of both sides of the pane fromwithin the building.

In one form of the invention the upright frame members are of channelsection with the mouths facing outwardly away from one another and thelocking means are contained within one of the channels. I

The channels may have weather beads as disclosed in Britishspecification No. 726,345 and the sides of the pane may have resilientsealing strips (e.g. of pile fabric, brushes or formed plastic) and/orweather beads as on the blade clips in specification No. 726,345. Suchsealing strips or beads may be on the backs of glazing channels fittedto the side edges of a glass sheet.

It is further preferred that separate locking means are provided forholding the pane in its closed position (i.e. between and substantiallyparallel to the frame members).

The pivot bearings between the window pane and the side members may beconstructed to provide a measure of frictional resistance to movement ofthe pane.

The invention further provides a composite window assembly comprisingtwo upright frame members, two or more louvre blades extending betweenand pivotally attached to the frame members for pivotal movements aboutthe central axes of the blades, operating means for effecting suchpivotal movements of all the blades in unison, a pane, larger than theindividual louvre blades, also extending between the frame members andpivotally attached to the members for swinging movement about itscentral transverse axis, said pane occupying a window space differentfrom that of the louvre blades and being pivotable independentlythereof, and releasable means for restricting rotation of the panebeyond a sloping position oblique to the frame members and intermediatein the range of pivotal movement, the releasable means being arranged torestrict rotation beyond one position as aforesaid and to hold the panein another position of rotation. The pane and the frame members mayembody any or all of the features already described.

The frame members may be of channel form as aforesaid and one of thesemay house both the operating means for the louvre blades and thereleasable means for the pane.

The releasable means may comprise a notched wheel or disc rotatable withthe pane and a pawl on one of the upright side members engageable in thenotches of the wheel or disc.

A specific embodiment of a window assembly according to the inventionwill now be described by way of example, and with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows the assembly Within a surround frame, the window being inits closed position;

FIGURE 2 shows the back of one of the upright side frame channelmembers, looking into the mouth of the channel, including one form ofreleasable means for restricting rotation of the pane beyond a slopingposition oblique to the frame members and also locking means for holdingthe pane in its closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a detail view of an alternative form of the releasablemeans.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the assembly comprises two glass louvreblades 10 held in end clips 11 pivotally attached to upright sidechannel frame members 12. The arrangement is as described in Britishspecification No. 726,345, including the weather beads and operatingmeans for the louvres, with the difference that the operating bars (notshown) are extended downwardly to a handle (also not shown) accessibleon the inside of the window and located just above the transversepivoted axis of the window pane.

Below the louvres, there is the window pane which co-m prises a singlelarge pane 15 composed of a sheet of glass held in side glazing channels1 6. These channels are pivotally attached to the side channel framemembers in the manner later described. On the back of each channel 16there is a longitudinal groove in which is held a resilient sealingstrip for making sealing contact with the weather bead on its adjacentside frame member 12.

Near the lower end of each channel 16 there is mounted a handle 20which, when the pane is in its closed position, engages with a tongue 21fixed to the adjacent frame member 12 and thereby locks the pane in thisposition. Each tongue 21 is located such that it protrudes from itsframe member 12 in a direction parallel to the pane 15, and enters arecess 22 between the handle 20' and its mounting 23 on the channel 16.Each handle 20 may be pivoted in relation to its mounting 23 to effectrelease or engagement of the handle with the respective tongue 21.

Each channel 16 is received, at the cent-re of its length, within a shoe24. Each shoe 24 is rigidly attached to its respective channel 16 bymoulding the shoe over and around two lugs which have been pressed fromeach wall of the channel and outwardly therefrom. Alternatively ea hshoe may be riveted to its respective channel.

Each of these shoes 24 has on its rear face, a central boss carrying arotatable spigot (not shown) which passes through a hole in the base ofthe side cannel member 12. Fitted on the spigot within the channelmember 12 is a bearing ring of nylon which fits within a circular recessin a bearing block 28 secured within the side member 12. The spigotcentre is at 29. The block 28 is split at 30 and a screw 32, accessiblethrough a hole 31, is provided in the block for drawing the split partstogether and so contracting the recess into frictional engagement withthe nylon ring and providing stiffness in the rotational movement of thewindow pane.

At one side of the Window, the frame 12 is provided with releasablemeans for restricting rotation of the pane beyond a first position andfor holding the pane in a second position. These positions are at about15 of opening (i.e. the pane slopes at about 15 to the vertical with thebottom edge on the outside of the window) and at about 150 from thatposition (i.e. the pane again sloping at about 15 to the vertical withthe bottom edge on the outside of the window) but with the outer face ofthe pane adjacent the interior of the building. In the form ofreleasable means shown in FIGURE 2, the movement of the window is suchthat in the former position the bottom edge of the window may be closedwithout operation of the said releasable means but may not be openedfurther. This provision being provided for the combination of safetypurposes and ease of operation of the window. In the latter position thewindow is held against movement in either direction.

This form of releasable means will now be described. Rigidly attached tothe end of the spigot carried by one of the shoes 24 is a circular disc46 with two notches 47 (defined by a lip 47a) and 48 for engagement withthe free end 53 of an L-shaped lever 49. This lever 49 is pivotallymounted at 50 to the block 28 and is held either in engagement with oneof the notches 47 and 48 or with the periphery of the disc 46 by aspring 51. A further lever 52, also pivotally mounted at 50 to the block28, is provided for releasing the end 53 of the lever 49 from engagementwith the notches 47 and 48 of the disc 46, the lever 52 being providedwith a lug 54 which is located within a slot 55 provided in the lever49. The lever 52 is accessible at the outside of the channel 12 and isoperable such that when the end 53 of the lever 49 is engaged with oneof the notches 47 and 48, rotation of the lever 49 will effectdisengagement of the lever 49 from the notch of the disc 46, the lever49 at the same time depressing the spring 51. Return movement of thelever 52 is elfected by a spring (not shown).

As can be seen from the drawings, the notch 47 is shaped such that whenthe free end 53 of the lever 49 is engaged therewith the disc 46 may befreely rotated in one direction but is held against movement in theother direction until the lever 49 is moved out of engagement with thenotch by the lever 52. When the lever 49 is engaged with the notch 47the window is in the first of the two above-described positions and whenthe lever 49 is engaged with the notch 48 the window is in the second ofthe two above-described positions.

An alternative form of releasable means (see FIGURE 3) comprises a disc60 rigidly attached to the spigot, the disc 60 having two diametricallyopposed radial tongues of which one can be seen at 34 projecting througha slot in the end of the block 28. Secured within the channel 12 thereis a guide block 36 of which the opposite edges 37 provide opposed guidechannels. A slide 38 is guided in these channels and has a notch 39within which the lugs 34 may be received to lock the pane. The slide isurged towards the lugs by a spring 4-0 acting through a link 41 pivotedto the slide and there is a release lever 42 having a fulcrum at 44 onthe guide block 36 and a pivotal connection at 45 to the link. The lever42, like the lever 52 in the other form of releasable means, isaccessible at the outside of the channel 12 and may be operated towithdraw the slide 38 from engagement with a lug 34 and so to releasethe pane.

The invention is not restricted to the details shown in the drawings anddescribed above. For example, in the first form of releasable means bothnotches may be of the type 48 such that the window is securely held inboth positions of opening and can only be released by operation of therelease lever 52. Also, the disc 46 may be provided with a plurality ofnotches, some of which may be of the type 47 and some of which may be ofthe type 48.

Also, in the second form of releasable means, the blocks 38 and 36 maybe made in one piece. Further, the link 41 may be omitted, the springacting directly on the slide and the lever 42 engaging the slide with acam action.

We claim:

1. A window assembly comprising two upright side frame members, a windowpane extending between the side members and attached thereto for pivotalmovement about a transverse axis at the centre of the height of thepane, and releasable means for restricting rotation of the pane at atleast two positions in the range of pivotal movement, the releasablemeans, in respect of the first position which is intermediate in therange of pivotal movement, restricting only further pivotal movement ofthe pane away from its closed position and, in respect of the secondposition, restricting pivotal movement of the pane in both directions.

2. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the range of pivotalmovement is approximately 360' and the releasable means restrictrotation of the pane in two positions.

3. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the pane slopes atabout 15 to the vertical when in the said first position.

4. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which separate releasablemeans are provided for holding the pane in its closed position.

5. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the pivot bearingsbetween the window pane and the side members are each gripped between apair of elements attached to the respective side member to provide ameasure of frictional resistance to movement of the pane.

6. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the releasable meanscomprise a disc rotatable with the pane and having two peripheralnotches, and a pawl on one of the upright side members engageable in oneof the notches of the disc when the pane is rotated to one of its twopositions, the notch associated with the first position of the panepermitting the pane to be rotated towards its closed position without itfirst being necessary to disengage the pawl from the notch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,921,511 9/ 1931 Hasselbuch49392 2,291,714 8/1942 Heiser 49-77 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, PrimaryExaminer.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WINDOW ASSEMBLY COMPRISING TWO UPRIGHT SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, A WINDOWPANE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE MEMBERS AND ATTACHED THERETO FOR PIVOTALMOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS AT THE CENTRE OF THE HEIGHT OF THEPANE, AND RELEASABLE MEANS FOR RESTRICTING ROTATION OF THE PANE AT LEASTTWO POSITIONS IN THE RANGE OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, THE RELEASABLE MEANS, INRESPECT OF THE FIRST